6.23.2009

Theme: Countdown— Theme answers are familiar phrases in which the last word of the phrase is something that might be counted.

Theme answers:

18A: Informal polls (STRAW VOTES).

26A: Cause of unhealthful weight gain (EMPTY CALORIES).

45A: Rockies grazers (MOUNTAIN SHEEP).

60A: Prominent schnozzes (ROMAN NOSES).

54D: Tally, and what to do with the last word of 18-, 26-, 45- or 60-Across (COUNT).

Crosswordese 101: ORAN is clued today as 1A: Algerian city on the Mediterranean. That's a typical clue for this word, especially in an early-week puzzle. Other noteworthy things about ORAN: Yves Saint Laurent was born there, Camus was born there, Camus's "The Plague" and "The Stranger" are set there, it's east of Tangier, and it was captured by the Allies in 1942. I also have a pretty good friend named ORAN who lives in New Mexico, but I don't think that will help your puzzle solving.

Hey there. Y'all sick of me yet? Seems like I'm everywhere, doesn't it? Well, today I'm here and we're talking about this Tuesday puzzle. I'm probably not going to spend a lot of time talking about it because, well, let me back up a minute. The other day I was having an email exchange with a puzzle constructor about this blog. I was telling him that it's a lot easier for me to sit down and write about the stuff that I don't like in a puzzle than it is to write about the stuff that I do like. And I really think that says more about my personality than about anything else. So I just want to say right here that when I'm giving you my opinion about a puzzle? That's exactly what it is: totally my opinion. I'm actually one of those people who believes that objectivity is a myth. So please don't think that I'm up here on my high horse telling you what you should and shouldn't like. Really, I'm just telling you what I do and don't like and I hope that will serve as a jumping-off point for the comments section. SO. With all that said ... I didn't care much for this puzzle. (I bet you knew that's where I was going with this! Because you're so smart!)

There were so many things that seemed "off" to me. For example, I've heard of a straw poll but never STRAW VOTES. Also, MOUNTAIN SHEEP? Seems like it should be goats. I'm sure mountain sheep are perfectly legitimate animals, but that doesn't mean I have to like them showing up in my Tuesday puzzle. LAME seems like a pretty old-fashioned way of saying 16A: Limping. And LAVS for 58A: Johns? What country are we in? I can think of a lot of things to call Dr. Laura, but ADVICE GURU isn't one of them. And please don't get me started on the duet of horrible N words: NITERY (6D: Cabaret, casually) and NATANT (46D: Swimming).

Did I like anything about the puzzle? Well, sure:

35A: "__ Millionaire": 2008 Best Picture (SLUMDOG). I haven't seen this movie yet, but noticed it while browsing the On Demand offerings the other night. It's awesome to see in the puzzle because it's so current.

55A: Chip maker __-Lay (FRITO). I had no idea how offensive the Frito Bandito commercials were when I was a kid. I also didn't understand "All in the Family." I guess that's what happens when you grow up in a small town full of white people.

59A: Gusto (BRIO). Love the word BRIO. Even though I confidently entered elan at first.

66A: Write to on a cell phone (TEXT). This one is notable to me only because it raises a question I think is interesting. Do you really think of texting as "writing to"? I actually think of it more as "talking." I suppose "communicating" would be more apt, but, I don't know. To me it just feels like talking. Maybe that's just because PuzzleHusband and I text each other from different rooms of the house instead of, ya know, going to find each other and literally talking.

1D: Bedtime hr. after a late date, perhaps (ONE A.M.). Random.

30D: Antony's loan request? (EARS). This is by far the best thing in the puzzle. "Friends, Romans [especially those with ROMAN NOSES], countrymen, lend me your ears...." Love it.

Well, I had fun. One reason I like to come here is that I can review all the clues and answers in one spot, cleanly, without all the mental clutter and write-overs of the paper puzzle in my hand. Thus, I noticed the neat ETTU that went with the EARS and the ROMANNOSES. Also, any puzzle that includes AGUE (which seems to be every third one these days) is okay by me.

One thing that I have found interesting about puzzles is that a word or phrase will appear & be very new -- and then, a day or two later, it shows up again (ROMAN NOSES -- where did I just see that?).

I was ready to change everything and put in BISTRO -- NITERY? Never been there.

When I was a freshman in college, we had one "one o'clock" each semester. I met my husband in early January, and, when he called for a date the following weekend, I insisted that we use the "one o'clock." (This was back when semesters were longer.) I never really stayed out much later than that!

gary, congrats on your puzzle! is it a debut? i can't find any previous puzzles with your name, so if it is a debut, congratulations again!

i loved ADVICE GURU and SLUMDOG, but i'm with PG in that i found two of the theme entries awkward. SWING VOTES would sounded more "in the language" to me than STRAW VOTES. or even better... BALLOTS. that's what they count, right? anyway, MOUNTAIN SHEEP also rankled; it really wanted to be GOATS. i wonder if there's another set of four matched-length theme answers that would have worked. how about BLACK SHEEP (10), SECRET BALLOTS (13), EMPTY CALORIES (13), and ROMAN NOSES (10)? anyway, this is all water under the bridge now, but i can't help myself.

anyway, i hope you keep making more puzzles. looking forward to seeing your next one.

@Joon - Thanks! I never in a million years questioned straw votes or mountain sheep. Live and learn.Funnily enough, I was very careful before going with Roman Noses because I had never heard THAT one before.I have several on the go, at least two of which have already made Rich's circular file, but I may get lucky again one day.

This puzzle,for me, was very easy and I had no problems with straw votes or mountain sheep. My only groan was nitery. "Hey I know of this really cool nitery where we can all get stupid on empty calories".

Hey, if I want an "opinion" from my doctor* I have to sit in the waiting room for 30 minutes and then pay through the nose. These crossword opinions ain't a bad deal.

* Lately, I don't agree with what she says either.

In my opinion (worth every penny you paid), I thought it was a fine puzzle. To me, STRAW VOTE and STRAW POLL are pretty much interchangeable, like SODA and POP, though one is more widely used than the other. I also thought MOUNTAIN SHEEP was perfectly okay. Anyone ever hear of a bighorn?

The type of theme isn't blazing any new ground, but the COUNT-ing tie-in worked for me. I wasn't crazy about NATANT. I did like NITERY. Overall, I say it was a good, solid puzzle.

Congrats on the debut, Gary. Smart idea, working with Nancy. Keep 'em coming.

It's a real treat to have the benefit of this puzzle constructor's views on the blog; thank you, @garylowe, congrats and good luck for many more

I had a lot of fun w your puzzle and enjoyed the counting theme. The clue for EARS was one of the most clever I've seen, and appreciate your working in ETTU

What gave me incredible trouble--more than I bargained for on a Tuesday--was the bottom middle. ENMASSE is innovative and took me forever. Until I got it, I couldn't put down LAVS (which I "get," and hadn't previously heard). WEEPS was my last choice after wails

I do share the critical views of others re NATANT and NITERY--but they were "gettable" by crossing and that's part of what this is all about.

Btw, @puzzlegirl, I like your insights and opinions a lot. Don't hold back; esp for those of who are fairly new to this game, the more learned and well-intended opinions, the better. Yours are always good-natured

Funny, the theme fill that most baffled me was ROMANNOSES. Not because I hadn't heard of that phrase (in fact, I'm pretty sure I've got one), but because I've never heard "count noses" before. I guess it's like "count heads"?